Canada January 31, 2022
Papal summit with bishops and Indigenous members set for March
By B.C. Catholic Staff
The meeting between Pope Francis and a Canadian delegation of bishops and Indigenous representatives that was supposed to take place in December has now been rescheduled for the end of March.
Today’s announcement from the Canadian bishops, the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami said the Holy Father is scheduled to meet with individual Indigenous delegations the week of March 28. The Pope will have a final audience with all participants on Friday, April 1.
The delegation had been scheduled to fly to Rome and have meetings with Pope Francis from Dec. 17 to 20, but the trip was cancelled because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
“The health and safety of all delegates remain our first priority,” said the Feb. 1 announcement. “In the weeks ahead, we will monitor conditions leading up to the revised travel dates and continue our dialogue with delegates, public health officials as well as the relevant government and international authorities, traveling only when we feel it is safe to do so.”
The bishops and Indigenous delegates said they “remain committed to walking toward healing and reconciliation and very much look forward to the opportunity for Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, residential school survivors, and youth to meet with Pope Francis.”
Planning for the meeting has been taking place since before COVID emerged in early 2020 but was put on hold due to the pandemic.
When unmarked graves were discovered first in Tk’emlúpsemc Secwepemc territory next to the old Kamloops Indian Residential school last May, then at several other former residential schools through the summer, planning for the trip was re-ignited.
Before the December meeting was cancelled the Indigenous delegates were to have at least three hours of direct, face-to-face conversation with Pope Francis spread over four days, topped off with their presence at an hour-long general audience.
The December meetings were expected to “provide a foundation” for a future papal visit to Canada, a CCCB spokesman said last month.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic bishops is expected to shoulder the costs of the trip.
The Catholic Register with B.C. Catholic files.